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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · racket · rush · calf · fork · toast · net · can

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. toast — bread
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. clip — a video
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rush — hurry
  7. net — for catching
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com